Abide With Me

You never know who is watching you and the effect that you might have on them.

Mountains of Life

 As I look back at the all the amazing experiences I have been blessed with the past 6 months on my mission, one in particular comes to mind. It all came from one night after a dinner with a family from the local ward (a ward is a congregation in the church). As we finished up dinner we were asked by the family's father if we wouldn't mind stopping by a man who was going through a sudden illness that was taking over his life. Of course, we told him we didn't mind so we were on our way! After knocking on the door we heard a voice tell us to come in. We pushed open the door and walked in. The man told us to sit down. His eyes were weary and his body would shake occasionally. The man was visibly ill. Though he struggled to even stand, when we talked to him he would crack a few jokes and we would all laugh together. Although we were there to offer our service and make sure he was okay, I felt like we came out of the visit more edified and strengthened then he (it's funny how often that happens as a missionary). He told us how going through a hard time is like climbing a big mountain. Your vision might not allow you to see very far and you might be very tired from the length you have already traveled. Here are a few of the profound words he said regarding trials:

"It may be steep... and it is!
It may be long... and it is!
But there is a top to the mountain!"

There is always a top to the mountain. We all struggle with our own set of trials no matter how big or small. Let's get real for a second, the things that might not matter for others around us might be the biggest mountain we have. Whatever it may be, though, keep going and keep climbing. There is a top to the mountain.

 I hope that those words retain at least a fraction of the power that they carried the first time they were told to my companion and I. 

The Man Behind the Cash Register

The story this week is an undeniable miracle that happened to my companion and I. Due to a few unexpected expenses, my companion has been a little tight on money this past month. Along with grocery money, he had set aside money for a camera at Walmart he has been looking at. We also had to make an unexpected trip to the bike shop to fix his bike. After going to the bike shop and finding out that repairs would cost $60, he knew he would have to dip into the camera fund and that he might not be able to get it.

Trying to salvage any good cheer at all, we decided to go to Five Guys (they are few and far between out here and one happened to be in Raleigh by the bike shop). Walking in I immediately caught the eye of the man behind the cash register. You see, it is easy to tell in one's eyes if they are familiar with missionaries and I definitely had that feeling. Sure enough, we went up to the counter he said, "Where are you from, Idaho or Utah?" I was slightly taken off guard because I really was from Idaho but we laughed and I said Idaho. He gave us the look that said "Ha! I knew it!" Anyway, we got our food and decided to sit outside because we felt for whatever reason we should (yes, outside in January, you can do that here in NC). We blessed the food with a prayer as usual and when I opened my eyes I caught the eyes of the man behind the cash register once again. I quickly looked away and we began eating our food. Not long after that, another man came up to us and told us how much he looks up to Mormon Missionaries. He said his name was Doc and thanked us for serving and taking time away from our families. As I shook his hand and over Doc's shoulder I once again caught the eyes of the man behind the cash register through the store window. Not a minute went by before the man came out from behind the counter and came to talk to us. His name was Bill. He told us that he, just like Doc, had a respect for missionaries but wasn't a member. He praised us for serving the Lord and told us about a time when the missionaries taught his family. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out two pieces of plastic. One was a $25 dollar gift card to a pizza place nearby and one was $25 dollars to Walmart, exactly where my companion wanted to buy his camera from. He said "I want you to have these." Shook our hands and left just as quickly and silently as Doc did. Without saying but a few words after he left we both bowed our heads and prayed a prayer of thanks to God. He now had just enough money to buy the camera he wanted from Walmart and pay for the bike repair. My companions prayer was answered by and angel disguised as the man behind the cash register.